The Chairman of the AU Arts Festival Foundation, Mr. Kojo Ampah Sahara has appealed to government to consider setting aside a day in honour of Former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

The holiday, he says is to immortalize and celebrate the rich achievements of the former president whom he says has contributed significantly to the socioeconomic development of this country.

He explains that the holiday in honour of Mr. Kufuor will help Ghanaians to do an introspection as to how far the country has come especially by looking at the initiatives by former President Agyekum Kufour which served as game changer in bringing lasting relieve to Ghanaians.

Speaking at the launch of a three day Arts Exhibition in honor of former President Kufuor which was on the theme, “Leadership, Africa through Arts, celebrating President John Agyekum Kufuor, Second President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana” , Mr Kojo Ampah Sahara stated that the achievements of President Kufour in both private and public life towers above his peers on the African continent.

He stresses that the social intervention programmes by the former president when he was in power are still relevant in the development of this country as no president in the fourth republic has been able to roll out such life changing social intervention programmes even though the former president comes from a capitalist background.

He mentioned the capitation grant, metro mass transport system , National Health insurance scheme, succesful redenomination of the cedi, oil discovery, the dramatic improvement of the living conditions of the average Ghanaian as among the landmark achievements in the Kufuor era which have helped revamped the educational , social and economic sectors of the country.

Mr. Kojo Ampah Sahara also underscored the contribution of former president Kufuor in the democratic and governance structure in the country including providing a friendly environment for the media to go about their duty to support the country’s development.

He argued that Mr. Kufuor’s single decision in abolishing the Criminal Libel Law gave the media the freedom to go about their duties thereby being well positioned to contribute to the developmental agenda of this country without inhibiting fears of possible criminal prosecutions.

“Kufuor helped break the infamous culture of silence in Ghana as people couldn’t speak freely with many fearing arrests especially the media. Now look at the media pluralism and how it is helping the country as journalists are doing ground breaking stories inuring to the benefit of this country while the ordinary Ghanaian also has the platform and freedom to air his or her views freely in the media thereby participating in governance thanks to former President Agyekum Kufuor” he added.

Present at the launch were President John Agyekum Kufuor, Right Honorable First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Joe Osei Owusu, Her Excellency Mrs. Samira Bawumia, 2nd Lady of Ghana, Hon. Catherine Afeku, Minister for Tourism and Member of Parliament for Evalue Dwira, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, C. E. O. Of The JAK Foundation, and a host of artistes and celebrities from the entertainment industry.

The AU Arts Festival, 2018 was organized by Malaika Media, OK Communications with collaboration from the JAK Foundation.

The event aimed at raising part of 80 million Ghana Cedis for the JAK Foundation.

On exhibition were paintings, collages, wood carvings, poetry, palm-wine music, traditional music, choral music, pop music from Ghana’s talents in the creative arts industry.